


The Little Sun Dragon

by Pupmon1



Category: RWBY
Genre: Half Animal AU, Half-Sibling Incest, Incest, Multi, Polyamory, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:45:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9171646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pupmon1/pseuds/Pupmon1
Summary: Halflings are legendary creatures with magic and powers. They are also feared in some places for what they can do...but maybe one little dragon and her friends can change that, for good.





	1. Prolouge

A white cloaked figure walked down the forest road in silence, in his arms two small sleeping girls, one about four, the other no older than two. The two girls were wrapped in blankets and the cloaked figure walked with a purpose. There was a shout from behind her and she quickened her pace. She had to get away...had to hide the children where no one would find them.

She quickly ducked into the forest, retreating back into the darkness. But her white cloak was too obvious, too readily seen. She looks around and kneels down, resting the girls on the ground, cradled by the roots of a large tree and hidden from view. Carefully the woman woke the older child.

The blonde haired girl’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked up to find who woke her. Before she could speak though the woman put her finger on the child’s lips. “Shh, listen to me,” she said softly, yet sternly. “Stay here, take care of your sister, understand?”

The blonde girl paused, taking a moment to register her mother’s words before nodding and putting her arms around the smaller girl in the red bundle. The woman nodded and smiled kindly. She leaned down and gently kissed the child’s forehead. “Remember, mama loves you, Yang.”

“...and Ruby too, right?” she asked with a childish innocence. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.

The woman smiled and nodded. “Yes, and Ruby too. Now stay here and be quiet.”

Yang nodded, smiling a little, flashing a mouth full of sharp pointed teeth. Her mother chuckled a little and patted her head. Then she stood and ran off, trying to draw the people away from her daughters, leaving them alone in the dark forest.

Yang held her sister close, protectively as the shouts grew quiet, til there was only silence...which was only broken by the sound of a child beginning to cry for her mother.

* * *

Cinder Fall, a hermit that lived at the edge of the woods by the mountains was the exact opposite of what people think of her. They call her a witch, tell their children to stay out of the forest, avoid the, what they assume to be an ugly old woman, like they had heard of other hermits. They are wrong.

Cinder was a beautiful young woman, though she was a witch, she just wanted to be left alone. Though a sound has pierced the usual silence of her forest, a sound she wasn’t used to. The sound of a crying child. The young black haired woman quickly located the sound.

Beneath a large tree, curled up in the roots, two girls, one asleep, the other weeping. Cinder usually wouldn’t mess with such things, but something drew her attention. The weeping girl had what appeared to be little horns just above her ears, similar to a lizard...or a dragon. She kneeled down and muttered a soft spell, making the girl weak and tired, or it was supposed to. When the witch moved forward to grab her newest...prize, the girl shoved her away and held the other girl.

Cinder was surprised by the girl’s strength, even if she knows the spell is running through her. This only made the witch want the girl more. She had to convince her to come along.

“Come with me, little one,” she said in a silky voice.

Yang looked up and shook her head weakly. “No...mama said stay...take care of Ruby.”

Cinder looked down at the smaller child and smiled. There is was, the way in. “Your mama has sent me to come and take care of you and Ruby.”

Yang, her mind dulled by fear and exhaustion, simply nodded and reached out for the embrace of someone warm and gentle. Cinder smiled kindly and gently picked up the two sisters. She finally noticed the two wolf like ears on the smaller girl. _Two halflings...perfect…_ Cinder thought to herself as she carried the two girls deeper into the woods, to make them hers.

No one realized the dragon girl now asleep in the witch’s arms has a great power, the power to change. She is the little sun dragon whose flame will burn through history and change everything, though, with a little help from a young wolf, a cold bunny, and a shady cat.


	2. Chapter 1

In the forest there was silence, only the sounds of birds and small creatures beginning to stir. The golden sun began rise over the mountains, and the world woke to greet it. Then suddenly, the peaceful silence is broken by a loud sound, a roar, as if from a dragon. Everything in the forest scattered and a young woman suddenly jumped down from the mountain.

She landed on the forest floor with a laugh, her hair shining like gold in the morning sun. She walked out through the forest with a cocky grin on her face, like she owned this land. Though she paused when she heard someone call out.

“Yang! You forgot something!”

The large girl called Yang turned around and found her little sister running towards her. She crossed her arms and chuckled. “What is it Ruby?”

Ruby disappeared for a moment, reappearing in front of Yang, panting a little. Yang smiled and patted her sister on the head, between her two wolf ears. “You’re getting better at that spell, Rubes.”

Ruby smiled and her ears pricked. “Thanks sis,” she said happily. Then she pulled a cowboy hat out of her back and presented it to Yang. “Anyway, you forgot your hat.”

Yang sighed and grabbed the brown leather hat. “I hate this thing…”

“Yeah I know sis, but humans wouldn’t be happy if they saw those horns of yours.”

Yang nodded and reached up, touching the golden horns on her head. She hated having to hide them...but she was going into town and Ruby was right about one thing...the humans would never allow her near them with these things.

The dragonling put the hat on and chuckled. “There, now Cinder doesn’t have to worry about me.”

Ruby smiled and nodded happily. “There ya go. Now I have to go back up the mountain, get some herbs.”

Yang nodded and saw her sister off before heading back towards town with the same strut as before. She wasn’t scared of humans, unlike her sister...or Cinder. Cinder was supposed to be taking care of them, but the best she did for Yang was make sure humans didn’t find her. Ruby got to do all the fun stuff...it wasn’t fair.

Yang kicked a rock, watching it embed itself in a tree before she broke through the forest into the small village. The humans were just starting to get moving, opening the outside market that was the center of the town.

Yang walked towards the center of the town as she pulled out a piece of paper from her small hip pouch, a list of ingredients Cinder said she needed for an experimental potion. They were common enough, people wouldn’t question it. The rarer items Ruby was going to collect.

* * *

Yang was off to a good start, buying the different herbs and animal products that Cinder had requested of her, when a sound caught her attention.

“Stop that thief!” a shopkeeper called out.

Yang turned and found a young woman running from a bunch of guys. She was very beautiful, but Yang couldn’t focus on that. Something else drew her attention...the smell of a cat. She leaned back and bowed her head, hiding her face as the woman ran past. Then she kicked the stand behind her, watching the produce spill onto the ground. The men either stop, or trip and fall on their asses.

Yang chuckled and turned to walked away. Humans aren’t that scary...but there are a lot of them. Maybe that’s why Cinder doesn’t want the sisters to get caught. Too many humans, not enough halflings or witches. Well maybe she found one more.

The dragon halfling followed the fleeing girl to a back alley. The girl spun around and hissed. “Go away.”

“Hey now kitty cat, I don’t mean any harm.” Yang pulled off her hat, letting her horns shine in the sun.

The girl paused and stepped out in the light, letting Yang finally get a good look at her. She was wearing a white button up shirt, a black vest, black boots, and what Yang can only assume were shorts...she couldn’t see the end of the lower garments as they disappeared into her high boots, and on her hip hung a large bag. Though that’s not what drew the dragonling’s attention. It was the bow that rested on top of her head. It seemed to...twitch as the girl looked at Yang in confusion.

“I didn’t think there were any other halflings around here…” the girl said softly. She took another step forward, just out of reach. “My name is Blake.”

“Yang,” the blonde haired girl said with a wink. She scooted over and smiled. “Its a pleasure to meet you, Blake.”

Blake jumped back and hissed lightly, not wanting Yang to be that close. “Yeah sure...well...I have to go now…”

“Wait, maybe I can help you with whatever you want.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed and she stared at Yang distrustfully. “Why would you help me?”

“You’re a halfling. And we have to stick together.” Yang smiled as she spoke and held out a hand for Blake to take.

Blake stared at Yang for a moment before hesitantly reaching out and shaking her head. “Yeah okay…” The young cat girl reached into her bag and pulled out a list, quickly explaining what she had, and what she needed to get.

Yang smiled and grabbed Blake’s hand, suddenly tugging her back towards the market, despite her new friend’s struggling   


* * *

While her sister was getting in trouble in town, Ruby was high on the mountain, gather herbs that aren’t sold in market. Though Ruby really didn’t want to...so she slipped away to her secret place, a small ledge on the mountain that had a small berry bush and some grass, but the view was amazing. She could look over the forest and town from here easily.

Though today something else had caught her attention. Two bunny ears peaked over the lip of the ledge. Ruby smiled and slowly creeped forward, with a smile like a small puppy that has found something to play with. This happens sometimes...a bunny wanders over from the field further down, and Ruby gets something to play with.

She moves quietly...silently...right up to the edge...then...she jumped! She landed square on the bunny and growled playfully. Though the sound that followed wasn’t something a bunny should make.

“Ack! What the hell?”

Ruby blinked in confusion and looked down, finding now a small bunny, but a small girl, with white hair and piercing ice blue eyes. Ruby’s silver gaze flicked down to the young woman’s pure white dress and boots. Then she noticed the long pure white bunny ears sprouting out of her head.

The bunny girl glared at the black haired girl on top of her. “Get off me,” she demanded in a dangerous voice.

Ruby paused for a moment before slowly crawling off the girl in white. She pauses for a moment, then smiled. “I’m Ruby~!” she said excitedly.

The girl glared at Ruby, as if she were trying to decide what is this small puppy thing that is standing before her, even though she was the shorter than the two. Both girls stood and Ruby had to wait until the strange girl had brushed herself off.

“What are you doing?” the girl demanded.

“I wanted to play!” Ruby said plainly. “What’s your name?”

The girl glared at Ruby again before answering proudly. “I’m Weiss Schnee, of the great Schnee family~!”

Ruby’s ears laid back, and watched the girl named Weiss for a moment. “But...you’re a halfling…”

Suddenly Weiss’s ears stood straight up. “I was cursed! I didn’t wanna be this!”

Ruby looked at Weiss in confusion and suddenly walked around her, crawling back up on her ledge and looking down at her. “You’re lying.”

“What?!?”

Ruby nodded and sniffed the girl in white carefully. “Transformation spells don’t affect an unwilling target...unless you were experimenting with it.”

Weiss spun around and glared at the young girl. “Shut up you...you dog!”

Ruby’s ears laid back and she slinked away. “S-sorry...I was...I mean…”

“What do you know about magic anyway?!?”

Ruby lowered her head and spoke softly. “I know a lot...Cinder’s taught me…”

Weiss looked at the girl strangely. “Who would trust you with magic?”

Ruby suddenly smiled and stood up straight, seemingly proudly. “I’m really good.” Suddenly the girl in the red cloak disappeared, leaving only a flurry of rose petals in her place. then she reappeared, resting her head on Weiss’s shoulder.

Weiss jumped away, yelping in surprise. She glared at Ruby. “What...are you?”

“I’m Ruby!” Ruby said happily.

Weiss sighed and turned to leave, and Ruby’s ears laid back. “Are you leaving?”

Weiss rolled her eyes and glanced back at Ruby. She realized this girl wasn’t going to leave her alone unless she had an excuse. “I need to go home...and you can’t come with me.”

Ruby whimpered softly, but didn’t follow as Weiss walked away. Though...she did call out, “Can we meet again?”

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Weiss said. She meant it to be sarcastic...but Ruby took it seriously and danced a little, excited to get to see her new friend again. Though...she’ll need to be on Cinder’s good side. So the young girl hurried to finish her surprisingly unforgotten chore and hurry back to her home at the bottom of the mountain.   



	3. Chapter 2

Yang ran through the streets, her new friend beside her. This was actually...fun! She was running from the guards, a sack of food flung over one shoulder, her bag of herbs slung over the other. She should be afraid...but she’s not. Blake looked over at the blonde beauty as she started laughing in enjoyment.

“This is fun!” The young dragonling said with a huge smile.

Blake stared at the woman at her side in amazement. “You’re crazy...just a big crazy lizard…”

“I’m a dragon!” Yang snapped suddenly.

Blake stumbled a little, tripping over her own two feet as Yang’s eyes suddenly burned blood red. Maybe pushing her on that was a bad idea. Blake put a hand up in surrender, the other holding on to another bag.

“We'll miss dragon, how do we get these humans off our asses?” The cat halfling hissed in annoyance.

Yang led Blake around another corner, looking around frantically. She knew neither of them could keep running like this...no longer than the humans could. She looked down the street and saw their chance to get away.

“Run ahead!” Yang order, slowing down slightly so Blake could oblige.

The black haired girl took the lead, only hesitating a moment as Yang shoved the bag of food into her open hand. Yang glared back at the officers rounding the corner, gagging how much time she’d have to warm up.

Yang then turned her gaze forward to the horse and log filled cart that would aid in their escape. She clenched her fist, gather her fire in the tense muscles.

_ ‘I’m sorry,’  _ she silently apologized to the poor horse before slapping its hind quarters. The horse bucked in pain of the fire, kicking the care and unloading its payload, logs rolling into the street behind Yang, blocking the officers. Yang laughed as they shouted curses at her back. The blonde beauty caught up with Blake and pulled her into an alleyway, and through that into the forest.

“That actually worked?” Blake muttered in awe. “That has got to be the most crazy off the wall plan ever…”

“Of course it worked,” Yang said proudly with a large smile. “I’m a dragon, I’m never wrong. Come on, let’s keep going.”

Blake nodded and followed Yang away from the town and into the safety of the forest.

Yang led Blake to her and Ruby’s secret place. This place was a clearing with a large oak in the center. Yang beckoned her new friend closer, as she took a familiar spot on the tree’s roots.

Blake slowly approached, a strange energy in the air. Something was strange about this area...something that put her on edge. Though the girl who had helped her didn’t notice, or didn’t care as she seemed relaxed.

“Hey, come and sit so we can talk,” Yang requested, patting the ground beside her. “We can’t go back into town anyway, so might as well rest here a while.”

Blake sighed softly and nodded, hesitantly sitting in front of Yang, not wanting to touch the tree. Yang didn’t seem to notice her companion's discomfort.

“Where are we?” Blake asked carefully.

“This is where me and Ruby come to relax.”

“Ruby?”

“My little sister. She’s a real cutie,” Yang said with a chuckle. She ducked her head down to hide a light blush.

Blake simply chuckled and nodded. “Well okay then.” Blake looked around carefully, then up at the tree looming above them. “Do you feel something...strange?” she asked carefully.

Yang stared at Blake, confused for a moment, then she sighed and shook her head. “No, but I know what you’re sensing. It's a spell placed here a while ago.” Yang gestured up at the tree. “My mom cast a spell on the area, it was supposed to be a place, where Ruby and I could be free. Sadly...she never got to watch us play here.”

Blake watch as Yang’s expression feel. It looked strange, a sad expression over taking the entergetic blonde’s features. Blake reached out, putting a gentle hand on Yang’s shoulder.

“I’m sure she’s watched you play and take care of your sister,” the cat girl claimed with a gentle smile.

Yang nodded and put on a smile again. “Yeah, I’m sure she is! Considering how many times Ruby has really blown herself up with her spells, she has to have an angel looking out for her.”

Blake chuckled, her bow twitching as her ears moved. Yang’s eye was drawn to the movement. She gestured up at the little bow and spoke softly. “I’ll show you my scales if you show me your ears.”

Blake suddenly stopped and grew still. Her expression became neutral. She thought for a few seconds, then looking around, making certain this wasn’t a trap to expose her. There were no sounds beyond the song of the forest.

Slowly Blake reached up and pulled on the bow. Yang watched as it came unraveled, revealing two cat ears, raven black like the girl’s hair. They twitched as a cool breeze tickled the sensitive inner ear. It felt a little funny, having her ears uncovered.

“Aww! You’re so cute!” Yang practically squealed, wiggling excitedly.

Blake glared at the reptilian before her, her ears leaving back. Yang chuckled and settled down again, putting a cap on her emotions.

Then the blonde slowly rose to her feet, taking off her hat and hanging it on the tree limb above her. With a blushing glance towards Bake, the dragonling slowly took off her jacket, revealing the scales on her arms. She reached up and hung it on the tree limb over her hat, but she didn’t sit down as Blake expected. Revealing the scales on her arms wasn’t enough for her...though she did pause and let Blake see them.

The cat-girl slowly reached up and touched the scales. They were surprisingly smooth, and warm to the touch, like a stone that was left in the spring sun. Yang shuttered, her scales sensitive, though she didn’t jerk away. Blake chuckled, though pulled away still, not wanting to tease the dragonling.

Yang took a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting to do anything she shouldn’t. Then she slowly pulled up her shirt to her shoulders, revealing her back...more specifically the scales that ran down her spine. Each scale sprouted from her vertebrae, and seemed to fit together perfectly. Yang rolled her shoulders and leaned forward, showing how her scales moved against each other gently.

Blake glanced at Yang, and seeing a small nod she reached out to touch one of the scales. Her fingers gently brushed against the warm smooth surface, and Yang instantly straightened up. She visibly trembled and took a deep breath, the back scales being so much more sensitive than the others. Blake chuckled and stood, carefully running her hands down the warm scales.

Yang whimpered and shook her head. “Blake stop…” the young dragonling begged.

Blake paused for a moment, then tried to get a look at Yang’s face...and instantly wished she hadn’t. The larger girl’s face was bright red, her eyes the same blood red color has before, and her pupils thin slits. Blake quickly backed away, knowing that look on a reptilian is anything but good.

Yang leaned on the tree, taking deep breaths to calm down. “Don’t...do that...again…” she managed.

Blake quickly nodded and looked away. It didn’t take but a moment or two for Yang to recover and pull her shirt down. Yang took a deep breath and sank back to the ground, managing to keep her composer.

Blake looked down at the blonde girl and spoke softly, “You okay?”

Yang nodded. “Yeah...don’t do that again…”

Blake quickly nodded and took a deep breath. Yang had shown all of her...it was only right to show the same. Blake looked down at herself then closed her eyes. Her hand slipped into the side of her pants and she carefully pulled out a long thin black tail.

Yang was going to say something, seeing her new friend’s actions, though she stopped when she saw the tail. “Cute little kitty~” she squealed.

Blake winced and carefully sat down, her tail flicking a little. Yang watched it move for a moment before noticing it's condition. The fur was pressed flat from sweat and compression.

The dragonling carefully reached out. “May I?”

Blake hesitated but still nodded. Yang smiled and slowly moved. She knew mammalian halflings were sensitive about their tails, but she was used to taking care of her sister’s, so she knew how to maneuver without over sitimulaiting them. Yang carefully sat behind Blake and took her tail into her hands. Blake shuttered and closed her eyes, the gentle warm fingers moving down her tail feeling very relaxing. Yang moved very carefully, lightly running her fingers down the thin appendage. She warmed her hands to dry it as she lightly fluffed the fur.

When she finished she pulled away and clamped a hand on Blake’s shoulder to snap her back to reality. “How does that feel?”

Blake jerked back from the warm trance the care had put her in. She glanced back and wiggled her tail, smiling a little. “Feels good. How’d you learn to do that?”

“My sister’s also a mammal. Her tail is short though, so she has me care for it,” Yang explained with a smile.

Just as she spoke, a smell that made Blake cringe intruded on the area. It smelled like a wet dog who had rolled in strawberries, cookies, and rose petals. Yang looked up and smiled. “Speaking of that cloak wearing devil.”

Yang quickly stood and crossed her arms, unknowingly showing her muscles for Blake. She stood still, knowing the train that was coming from the forest. Blake watched in silence as a red blur suddenly burst from the bushes and slammed into the large girl. Yang stepped back and managed to keep her balance.

“Yang, where have you been?” the small girl clinging to Yang said quickly.

“With my new friend.”

The younger girl followed Yang’s gesturing hand down to Blake. Blake looked up and quickly took in her features. The girl had short black hair with red tips and ears and a short tail to match. But that wasn’t the most interesting thing...not even her black and red dress or the red hood she wore was...it was her eyes. Blake slowly stood to get a better look...her eyes were pools of silver with an innocent light shinning through. The very look made Blake smile.

The girl held out her hand with a large smile. “Hi! I’m Ruby!”

Blake smiled and nodded. “Blake…” she said softly. Then that scent hit her again...dog. It made her go on alert, and Ruby reacted the same to the smell of cat. They shivered a little and couldn’t help but growl and hiss at each other.

Yang growled and suddenly grabbed them both. She grabbed Ruby’s ear, lightly tugging on it, and clamped a heavy, hot hand on Blake’s shoulder. “No!” she snapped harshly, snapping them out of their instincts. “We’re not animals!”

Blake was nearly forced to the ground as some kind of hot energy travelled through her, while Ruby nearly dropped to her knees...Yang was stronger than she looked. They both looked up to find the large girl looking down at them with red eyes.

“Sorry Yang…” Ruby said quickly, while Blake just looked away in shame.

Both girls took a deep breath and apologized to each other, only then did Yang relax and move away from them both. Ruby sighed in relief and carefully stabilized herself, and Blake really did collapse back to the ground.

Yang smiled again, then turned her attention to her sister. “What are you doing out here sis?”

Ruby’s ears flicked and she met her sister’s gaze. “Well...Cinder was worried about you, you weren’t back when you were supposed to be.”

“Of course…”

Blake looked up Yang’s audible discomfort. “Cinder?”

Ruby nodded and smiled. “Yeah! Cinder. She takes care of us since our mother left her with us.”

Yang sighed and pushed Ruby towards the forest. “Fine fine, why don’t you start off without me, I’ll say goodbye to Blake and join you.”

Ruby nodded and walked off towards the edge of the clearing. Yang watched her sister for a moment before reaching down and helping Blake up. “Well, I’ll see you later then…”

“What’s the real story?”

“What?”

“About Cinder, I saw your face.”

Yang pulled away, glancing back towards where her sister was, then she lowered her voice down to barely a whisper, just loud enough for Blake to pick up, disguising the delay by grabbing her coat and hat. “Let’s just say...Summer didn’t give us to Cinder…”

Blake opened her mouth to ask further, but Yang had already turned her back and was walking away. She sent a back hand wave at the cat girl, but didn’t turn back. Blake shrugged a little and grabbed her bags, hiding her ears and tail once again before heading back into town.

Yang joined her sister at the edge of the clearing with a strange smile. Ruby chuckled and jabbed her sister with an elbow. “She was cute little kitty cat~”

“Yeah she was...so what did you do today?”

“Well, I met a cute little bunny on the mountain~” Ruby said, skipping a little.

“Ooo~ Is my little wolf pup going hunting?” Yang cooed.

Ruby paused, swaying a little, her demeanor changing to a more mature one. “Is my great big dragon gonna hunt the kitty?”

“Well of course,” Yang said with a grin. “She’s too cute to pass up~”

Ruby and Yang both laughed and glanced back, barely able to catch the fleeting glimpse of said kitty cat. “I’m sure we’ll share our...prey...with each other.”

“If they’re willing,” Ruby said, making Yang nod.

“Of course...it's not a catch if it's forced.”

Ruby hit her sister’s shoulder, shifting back to an innocent act. “Catch me if you can!” she quickly said before suddenly bolting off, leaving only rose petals whirling around Yang.

The large dragon chuckled and ran after her sister, trying to keep up with the living bullet all the way back to their house...though their thoughts keep flicking back to the new cuties they met today.


	4. Chapter 3

Yang chased her sister through the woods, growling playfully as her eyes tracked the red blur through the trees. Ruby was fast...faster than Yang, but Yang was more coordinated...and less likely to trip over a log, as she sister just did. She paused a few feet away, just far enough that her sister wouldn’t smell her. She waited, peaking out behind a tree, watching her sister stand and brush herself off.

Once the girl in red had picked the last leaf off her precious cloak, Yang pounced. Ruby yelped as Yang bowled her over, throwing both to the ground. They rolled for a moment or two, each wanting to be on top of the other, though Yang’s size and strength easily overcame Ruby. The larger girl pinned her sister to the ground and flashed a toothy grin.

Ruby squirmed and struggled in her sister’s firm grasp. “Ah, let go!”

Yang chuckled and leaned close. “No way, say it~” she said teasingly, keeping Ruby firmly pinned to the ground.

Ruby flinched, feeling her sister’s warm breath on her skin...Ruby shouldn’t have started this game...Yang always gets too excited in the chase. “I-...y-you win…”

Yang smiled triumphantly and kissed Ruby’s cheek. Then she stood, holding out her hand to help Ruby up. Ruby sighed in defeat and took her sister’s hand. Yang easily pulled Ruby to her feet.

“I never win…” Ruby whined, crossing her arms.

Yang smiled and patted her sister on the head. “You’ll get me eventually sis,” she said teasingly.

Ruby pouted, her ears laying back as she followed her sister through the woods. Now that the short game was over they really needed to head home. They both knew Cinder was going to be upset...she hated when the girls were late, and technically they were. It was supposed to be an out and in, get the supplies and come home.

Suddenly Yang stopped, “Oh shit! The herbs!” she yelped. “They’re back at the grove!” she yelped.

Ruby flinched and pushed Yang towards the hut that was now in view through the trees. “You go deal with Cinder, I’ll run back and get the supplies!”

“Wait, it was my job!”

“I’m faster!” Ruby snapped before turning and running off, leaving Yang only to grab at rose petals.

The older girl took a deep breath and turned back towards her home. Maybe this was best...fire won’t kill a dragon. Yang pulled on her jacket and hat before walking towards the two story hut.

She silently pushed the wooden door open, trying to sneak inside. Most of the house was stone, only the doors and shutters being made of hard oak from the trees around the hut. For once, Yang was thankful for the stone floors, no wooden boards to bend under her weight. Though the moment she put her weight on the wooden stairs that led up to the sister’s bedroom, the board creaked beneath her weight.

“Yang!” a sharp voice snapped.

Yang could swear Cinder had teleporting abilities, cause as she turned back towards the door where she just was, there Cinder stood, her arms crossed. Yang smiled sheepishly and stood with her hands behind her back.

“Hey Cinder…” Yang said nervously.

“Where are my supplies?” Cinder demanded.

“I...uh...I left em somewhere...Ruby’s getting them…” Yang mumbled softly.

Cinder frowned and stepped forward, her gaze cold. Yang gulped and turned to go upstairs, only to have Cinder grab her arm and keep her in place. Yang shivered a little and looked down at the crimson eyed woman.

“I need those ingredients,” Cinder snapped harshly.

Yang shivered for a moment before yanking herself from her caretaker’s hand. “You’ll get them in a minute, calm down hot head!” she snapped.

Cinder stared at Yang coldly for a moment before lashing out. Her hand curled around Yang’s throat, restricting her breath as her parasitic magic began to sap Yang’s fire away. Yang shivered as she was forced to meet Cinder’s glowing gaze.

“Now listen here you overgrown lizard,” Cinder hissed as she pulled Yang closer. “I need those ingredients...then again...maybe you want Ruby to die.”

Yang glared at her and let out a harsh, strangled growl. “You won’t let her die..you value her more than me.”

“You’re right...but I can find another aprentice...I don’t need either of you. I gave you a home...some safety…a purpose...I taught you to have control over your fire...helped your sister when she did something she wasn’t supposed to...and this seems to be the only way to keep you under control.”

The woman threw Yang onto the stairs and walked away. Yang shivered and tried to warm herself. Cinder’s touch...her power...it always made Yang feel weak and tired. Cinder was nothing but a parasite...and yet Yang couldn’t leave. She had to keep her sister safe...and healthy.

Yang raised her head as the door creaked open. She could hear Ruby and Cinder talking in witch’s lab, the witch praising her apprentice for bring the supplies like she was told. Its almost amazing...Cinder would be called kind if no one saw her from Yang’s perspective. As the conversation in the next room turned to Cinder’s experiments, Yang let out a soft sigh.

The dragonling stood and headed towards the door. “I’m gonna take a bath!” she announced before walking outside.

“Don’t waste too much water!” Cinder called after her.

* * *

Yang sank into the warm tub of water easily. The stone tub might be small, but it's surprisingly comfortable for what it is. It's nice and circular, a small bench carved into one side. It was surprisingly smooth for being carved out. Yang’s muscles relaxed in the warm water, the heat replenishing what Cinder had taken. Yang sank a little further, resting so her head was just above the water, resting on the rim of the tub. This was so warm and comfortable, she could almost fall asleep. Though before the large girl could drift off into sleep, a voice pulled her back to reality. “Can I join you?”

Yang opened her eyes to find Ruby sitting on the opposite edge of the tub. Yang smiled and sat up, seeing her sister squirm and pull at her precious cloak. “Of course, I’d never say no to you.”

Ruby smiled and quickly stripped down, casting her clothes aside and hanging her cloak on a tree limb nearby. Yang leaned back and rested her arms on the edge of the tub, letting Ruby climb in and sink into the water, sitting in Yang’s lap. Yang’s gaze instantly snapped to her little sister’s back...more so the scars and sores that dotted the top half of her back.

“Is your back hurting you…?” Yang asked carefully.

Ruby rocked nervously and shrugged. “Not...not really...could you scrub it though? It's...starting to itch.”

Yang nodded and reached over, grabbing a small pumice stone off the side of the tub. She took a deep breath before carefully scrubbing Ruby’s back, starting on her lower back and carefully moving up. She kept her free hand on Ruby’s shoulder, watching her carefully for even the slightest flinch of pain. Ruby kept still...until one of the sores broke open.

“S-sorry,” Yang mumbled, quickly fumbling to scoop some warm water over her little sister’s back.

Ruby glanced back and smiled. “It's fine Yang...it's fine...it only stings…”

Yang rinsed Ruby’s back, gently running a hand over her marred pale skin. She tensed her fingers slightly, directing what warmth she could spare to help Ruby relax.

The wolf girl looked back, shaking her head. “Yang, it's okay,” she said softly. Ruby sighed when she saw Yang’s worried expression. Carefully she shifted positions, turning to face her big sister. “Yang, relax. You didn’t hurt me that badly…”

Yang sighed a little and leaned over and kissed Ruby’s cheek. “Yeah...okay...turn back around...I’ll comb out your tail.”

Ruby smiled and nodded, letting Yang finger out any small burrs or knots out of her soft fur. “So...why don’t you tail me about the little bunny you found?” Yang said with a chuckle as she stroked Ruby’s tail.

Ruby paused for a moment and slowly turned to stare at her sister. “No. No more puns.” Yang flinched as Ruby elbowed her in the chest. “Anyway...she was strange.”

Yang looked up from her work, curiosity shining in her lilac eyes. “Strange? How so?”

“She acted human, but I swear she wasn’t. I mean, it's hard to miss those bright white ears…but...she screamed ‘I am human’ from her mannerisms to her scent…”

“You think it’s a spell gone wrong?” Yang muses as she picked out a small burr.

“Yeah…” Ruby mumbled softly with a small shrug. “But there’s more than that. Her scent was stale.”

Yang paused for a moment rocking in the tub. “You don’t think she’s living up there away from people...do you?”

Ruby simply shrugged. “I don’t know...maybe I’ll see her again.”

Yang nodded and looked down at Ruby. It was rare to see her worried or nervous...that rabbit must’ve left a mark on the little black haired girl...then again Ruby always had a soft heart. Yang watched as Ruby traced patterns in the water before suddenly wrapping her arms around her in a warm hug.

“Would it make you feel better if I went up and looked for her?” Yang asked softly.

Ruby leaned back into her sister’s embrace and nodded. “Yeah...no one should be alone up there, human or halfling.”

Yang nodded in agreement. She nuzzled into Ruby, then suddenly reached up and nipped at Ruby’s red tipped ears. The young wolf girl jumped away, pressing her ears close to her head.

“Yang!” Ruby yelped.

Yang smiled mischievously as her sister blushed. Ruby growled softly and suddenly turned around, straddling her sister and pushing her down. Yang squirmed as Ruby pushed Yang down beneath her as far as she’d go, her shoulders now just above the water. Yang stared up at her sister, keeping her gaze on the smaller girl’s face. Ruby mimicked Yang’s mischievous smile as her delicate hands ghosted against Yang’s skin under the water. Ruby giggled lightly as she trailed a hand down her arm, watching Yang tremble as her fingers brushed against her scales. Ruby then snatched up the pumice stone and booped Yang on the nose.

“I came here to get clean, not dirty,” she chided.

Yang laughed and sighed. “Yeah yeah...buff my horns while you’re up there.”

Ruby looked down at Yang and shook her head. “Nope.”

Yang glared up at her defiant sister. The younger girl smiled and started to wash herself, ignoring the dragon glaring beneath her. Yang growled and suddenly lashed out, wrapping her arms around Ruby’s neck and suddenly pulling her down. Ruby gasped as her lips suddenly met Yang’s, the older girl smiling a little. Ruby was completely tense from the sudden kiss...but she couldn’t help but relax into her sister’s embrace, her eyes closing as she leaned into the kiss. Yang smiled and broke the kiss, only a fraction of an inch separating the two.

“Yang…” Ruby whinned softly as the kiss was cut short.

Yang chuckled and leaned up, kissing her sister on the nose. “Don’t be so pouty…”

“But...but…”

“How about this...you wash my horns...I go find your bunny, then I’m all yours.” Yang purposed in a low voice.

Ruby smiled and nodded, sitting up and gently buffing Yang’s horns. Yang sighed in contentment, between the feeling of the stone lighting grinding against her and the feeling of Ruby’s tail brushing against her leg, she couldn’t help but relax.   



	5. Chapter 4

Ruby snuggled into Yang’s gentle hold. They had long finished bathing each other, and now Ruby was just enjoying her sister’s warmth. Yang gently reached up and ran her fingers through Ruby’s short hair. Yang was so soft and gentle...Ruby couldn’t help but rest her head on her shoulder and begin to fall asleep, trusting Yang to hold her.

Yang shifted positions, hooking her arms around Ruby’s torso when she felt her relax. The dragonling smiled a little and closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the water surround her. She could lay here forever, her precious sister laying against her with her tail brushing against her leg.

The serene scene was suddenly interrupted by someone calling out. “Ruby! Don’t sit in that tub all day! You have chores to do!”

Ruby groaned and stirred a little, opening her eyes to find Cinder staring down at them both. She nodded and pulled herself from Yang’s hold as Cinder nodded and walked off, going down the small path towards the town.

Yang reached out for her sister as she tried to pull away, tiredly grasping for her sister’s warmth only to find cold air.

“Yang, we should get up now,” Ruby scolded as she started to shake the water off herself, then putting on her discarded shirt and skirt.

“But...snuggle…” she mumbled softly.

Ruby laughed and shook her sister’s shoulder. “No, get up. We can snuggle after you go find Weiss.”

“Weiss?” Yang mumbled in confusion as she lifted herself out of the warm water, shivering as the air cooled her skin.

“The bunny I met. You said you’d go find her!” Ruby stated as she grabbed her cloak and pulled it around her.

Yang nodded and stretched. “Oh yeah...that…” she mumbled softly.

Ruby sighed and shook her head. Yang was always slow to become alert...but there was one thing that always helped. Ruby circled around her sister, stopping behind her and reaching out, gently running a finger down her scales.

Yang yelped and jumped to awareness. “Ruby! No!” she snapped.

Ruby laughed and shook her head. “You’re way too sensitive...go get dressed.”

Yang smiled and flexed her muscles, showing off...well everything. “You want me to cover all this up.”

Ruby rolled her eyes and leans up, kissing Yang’s cheek gently. “I don’t, but I think you’ll freak that little bunny out if you don’t.”

Yang sighed, putting on a joking pout. Then she rubbed Ruby’s head and walked inside. The smaller girl rolled her eyes, her ears laying back as she gathered the rest of the clothes. She put them out to be washed later. Then, as she straightened out her cloak, she walked inside the small hut that was her home.

Ruby sighed when she found Yang lingering at the entrance to the lab. “Yang, you know you’re not allowed in there.”

The older girl sighed and nodded, stepping away. “Sorry….I thought I heard something…” she mumbled softly before walking upstairs.

Ruby waited, listening to the wood creek underneath Yang’s weight, it was comforting to know she was here with her. And that she wasn’t alone with...her. Ruby took a deep breath and stepped inside the lab, grabbing a note off the desk. She waited until she could hear Yang moving up in their room, then she spoke softly. “Cinder would be mad if Yang saw you...you do remember that Emerald?”

All she received was an almost feral grunt from the far corner...though she knew that’s all she’d get. Ruby looked over at the corner and found a young woman with tan skin sitting in the dark, her mint green hair hiding her face. The halfling let out a long sigh and walked over, kneeling down and gently brushing Emerald’s hair aside. “Hey, are you awake in there?” she asked nervously.

Emerald’s red eyes flicked to Ruby’s face and she batted her hand away, grunting in annoyance. Ruby sighed and stood, Cinder’s little pet was...as awake as she was going to get. Ruby shook her head and grabbed the list of chores. “Looks like you’re going to have to help me, Emerald.”

Emerald grumbled a sound of dismissal and shook her head, seeming to try and retreat further into her dark corner. Ruby rolled her eyes and started to try and reach for the ingredients. Emerald never wanted to help unless Cinder was around...she’d do anything to avoid getting in trouble with her master.

Ruby stretched to reach an ingredient on the top shelf, grumbling to herself about how tall Cinder is...and about how she wished Yang could help her. She hated having to be separated from Yang, but Cinder said she might get hurt if she was in here. Ruby glanced at Emerald out of the corner of her eye, remembering Cinder say once that Yang might end up like the mint haired girl. Ruby shivered at the thought of her precious sister ending up like that, mentally numb grunting in a corner.

Ruby’s fingers brushed against cool glass, bringing her back to the task at hand, she was so close to being tall enough and yet she was just falling short. “Emerald, Cinder is going to be mad if I don’t do this! Come help me!” she ordered swiftly.

As if those were the magic words to awaken a golem Emerald slowly stood. She stretched for a moment, then walked over to Ruby, not giving the smaller girl even a passing glance as she looked over the paper and reached up, grabbing the two ingredients Ruby needed from the top shelf. Ruby smiled and took the two vials. “Thanks Emerald.”

Emerald glanced down at the girl, grunting before returning to her corner. Ruby sighed and shook her head...maybe one day she’d talk to her. Ruby shook her head, refocusing herself on the chores at hand. She flipped through her book of beginning spells and potions to the proper page and started adding ingredients into a small pot.

As she was crushing up some dried mushrooms she heard Yang come down stairs. “I’ll be back Ruby!” she called out.

“Don’t forget your hat!” Ruby called in response, earning a nervous chuckle in return. Ruby laughed and watched out of the corner of her eye as Yang grabbed her hat and walked out the door, leaving the house in silence. Ruby slouched a little over the counter, she hated being alone...but she had to do her chores or Cinder would get mad...then she’d really be alone…

The house was silent until the door opened once again about an hour later. Ruby looked over excited, expecting to see Yang walk in, but instead she saw Cinder standing in the door way. She smiled contently and turned back to her book as she crushed a few herbs.

Cinder walked up behind Ruby and put her arms around her waist. “Hello dear, how are you doing? You should be past this now.”

“Oh I’m fine...I just messed up a few things and had to redo it.”

Ruby continued working, but she could feel Cinder’s crimson gaze on her. She knew Cinder wouldn’t hurt her, but there’s something about how she speaks that puts her on edge.

Cinder squeezed Ruby lightly, “Ruby...where’s your sister?”

Ruby gulped softly and shifted positions nervously. Yang and Ruby aren’t allowed to leave the cottage without permission, or a really good reason. She had to come up with something very quickly...or Yang would get in trouble. “I asked her to get me some saplings and seeds from the mountain for an experiment I want to run,” Ruby explained smoothly.

“An experiment?”

“Yeah,” Ruby said quickly as she reached up and grabbed a botany book. The young girl wormed out of Cinder’s grasp and flipped through the book. “I wanted to try a different type of growth enhancer, so I sent Yang to go find some specimens for me.”

Cinder nodded then walked to her half of the house, where the sisters aren’t allowed at all. Ruby mixed together the powders she was working with and added a few drops of pure water. She smiled as the mixture started to turn a light green color.

Suddenly, Cinder peaked back in. “Ruby, Yang didn’t come into the lab, did she?”

Ruby jumped slightly and quickly looked over, noticing Emerald trying to hide herself behind her mistress. The small girl glared at Emerald as she told the truth. “She thought she heard someone moving inside the lab, but she didn’t go inside.”

“Oh really?” Cinder mused, looking down at the green haired girl. She yelped and quickly scurried away deeper into Cinder’s side of the house. Cinder sighed and shook her head, then glanced at Ruby out of the corner of her eye. “Well be careful...we both know what would happens when people who don’t know what they’re doing plays around with magic.” Ruby gulps and nods, knowing exactly what she meant. “Call me when Yang returns, I need to talk to her.”

“Yes ma’am!” Ruby called after her, then she returned to her chore...but she couldn’t help but wondering what Cinder wanted with Yang.

* * *

Yang wandered through the forest, unaware of her sister’s nervousness. She was focused more on finding the little white bunny in the mountains. As she approached the area where her sister played she could smell something on the wind. The scent of a strange, unknown halfling, and the stale scent of human both wafted on the gentle breeze. The large blonde looked around, but she couldn’t see anything, just an empty field of grass and flowers.

Yang was a reptilian...she could pick up smells humans couldn’t, but there was no way she was going to be able to track anything. “She was here...but where did she go?” Yang mused to herself. She rocked on her feet and closed her eyes. “Well...let’s think...Ruby said she’s human...or she was...so that means she’s probably going to try and find some shelter...there is a cave system nearby…”

Yang grinned and nodded, making a decision. She was comfortable in caves, so she might as well check them first before wandering out in the open of the forest. Yang stuck her hands in her pockets and continued up the mountain towards a nearby cave, the lowest on the mountain and probably the best to set a camp in.

The dragonling approached the cavern, peering inside it. It was a shallow cave, and Yang could easily see signs of life, smouldering embers of a fire, some discarded remains of food, but no sign of the actual inhabitant of the camp. Yang looked around, sensing someone hidden watching her.

The large girl chuckled softly, then walked forward to the dying embers, hoping whoever was watching her would step out. Yang knelt beside the campfire and poked the ash with a finger. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on her hearing.

She heard soft footsteps behind her, someone trying to be sneaky and clever. Yang didn’t move, even when the footsteps stopped behind her...at least, not until she heard the sound of something moving through the air. Yang spun around, raising her arm and blocking the sturdy branch that was being swung at her head.

“Whoa there!” she said in surprise, ignoring the pain in her scales. She slowly stood, pushing the branch aside to get a proper look at the wielder. It was a small girl with pure white hair and ice blue eyes. Her dress was a little dirty, her smell was diluted and stale, it was clear even to Yang she’s been up here a while. But what drew Yang’s attention, was the long pure white ears folded back on her head. “You’re Weiss, aren’t you?” Yang said quickly.

The girl’s eyes went wide and she stepped back, holding the branch between the two of them. “I am not going back to father!”

Yang stepped back, holding her hands up. “Whoa there Snow White, I don’t mean any harm.”

Weiss’ eyes narrowed, her scar making the expression look more threatening that it probably should from a little bunny. “I am not going back to father, you can go and tell him that.”

Yang blinked in confusion and looked down at the shorter girl. “What are you talking about?”

Weiss paused and slowly lowered the branch. “You...weren’t sent by the Schnee Company?”

Yang paused and looked down at the small girl. The...Schnee Company? That name sounded familiar, but based on the look in Weiss’ eye it might not be best to bring up right now. Yang sighed and shook her head. “No. Someone had told me that a girl was living on the mountain, and I wanted to help her. I didn’t know who it was,” Yang half lied.

“You would...want to help me?” Weiss asked carefully, finally putting down the large branch. Her ears slowly raised, the left ear twitching a little nervously.

“Of course,” Yang said with a smile. Then she bowed, taking off her hat as she did to reveal her horns. “Halflings have to stick together~”

Weiss suddenly frowned and shook her head. “I don’t need help from an animal.”

Yang suddenly paused. Ruby hadn’t mentioned she was one of those. Yang stood up straight and put on her hat. Her expression was calm, almost unnervingly so. Before Weiss could step out of reach, Yang lashed out, grabbing her by her collar and harshly pulling her close.

Weiss looked up into Yang’s red eyes and gulped as she spoke in a dark voice. “I..am not...an animal. No more than you are.”

Weiss squirmed and put a hand on Yang’s. “I-...I’m sorry. I didn’t think before speaking. I apologize,” she said quickly, her left ear almost shaking.

Yang sighed a little and nodded, releasing her iron grip. “I realize you’re new to this...but I’m trying to help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” Weiss said, retreating to grab her branch. “I’m fine up here.”

Yang chuckled and shook her head. “Sure ya are. That branch is gonna do a lot against the bears.”

“Bears?” Weiss asked, her ears suddenly pricking straight up in alert. “What bears?”

“The bears that migrate up here to hibernate. They’ll be coming soon,” Yang said with a shrug. “Of course...if you found a home in town, then...you’d be safe.”

Weiss growled a little, her ears laying back, but she didn’t argue. She crossed her arms and sighed. “Fine...but I can’t go into town like this,” she said, gesturing at her ears.

Yang smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about that. Me and Ruby’ll figure out a way outta that.”

“Ruby?”

“Oh yeah, you met her earlier. She’s my little sister.”

Weiss groaned and sighed. This was a situation she didn’t like...but if what Yang said was true, she couldn’t avoid. She nodded and waved Yang off. “Fine, go get your sister, I won’t leave here.”

Yang nodded and waved bye to Weiss before running off back to the cabin to get her sister.


	6. Chapter 5

Yang walked towards the cabin, running through plans in her head. “Maybe Pyrrha could help us…” she mumbled to herself.

The dragonling paused at the cabin, sensing something that was wrong. She carefully walked to the door and pushed it open. “Ruby?” she called out.

She was nearly tackled by the speedster that is her sister. “Hey, Yang! Did you bring the plant I asked for?”

Yang stared down at her sister in confusion. ‘...plant? She didn’t ask for a plant.’ Yang took a moment to take in the view inside the house. Ruby was staring at her sister expectantly, panic shining in her silver eyes. ‘Okay...so she’s lying…’ and with a glance towards the lab and seeing Cinder’s ember eyes it was evident why.

Yang put on a smile and rocked nervously. “Well, I found a few specimens I thought could work, but I didn’t know which would be best. So I thought I’d come get you and have you pick.”

Ruby shook her head and sighed a little. “Well, okay. Let’s g-.”

“Wait,” Cinder suddenly interrupted. She stepped behind Ruby and crossed her arms. “Yang I need to speak with you.”

“Sorry but we gotta go,” Yang said quickly, grabbing Ruby’s hand. “There’s a bunny who was eyeing the vine I found.”

Cinder shook her head and spoke sternly. “Tell Ruby where it is, and come inside.”

Yang gulped and glanced between Cinder and Ruby. There wasn’t a way out of this...was there? Yang sighed in defeat and looked down at her little sister. “It's by the closest bear cave.”

Ruby nodded, hesitantly glancing at Cinder before she darted off. Yang watched her sister disappear into the forest...then a cruel hand grabbed her wrist and tugged her inside. The dragonling growled and bared her fangs.

“Shut up,” Cinder growled as she pinned Yang against the wall. “Do not growl at me.”

Yang flinched and took a breath to relax. “Cinder...what do you want?”

Cinder smiled darkly and put a hand on Yang’s chest. The young dragonling could feel the warmth being pulled from her body. “I need the dragon’s breath,” the raven haired woman answered with a grin.

Yang gulped and closed her eyes, ready for what came next. The dragon’s breath...the source of her fire, or at least a manifestation of it. Cinder claimed it was needed to keep Ruby healthy...and if it was needed who was Yang to resist?

Cinder chuckled darkly and kept Yang firmly pinned to the wall with her hand. Yang felt her warmth be pulled from her chest as Cinder’s hand moved up. The blonde woman opened her eyes and saw Cinder pulling away, a fist-sized glowing orb in her hand.

Cinder smiled and gently touched Yang’s cheek with her free hand. “Good girl~” she cooed teasingly as darkness overcame Yang’s vision.

* * *

Weiss looked up when she sensed something coming her way, grabbing the branch she used as a weapon. In the forest, she could see flickers of red moving between the trees. As she watched, the intruder came closer...it was that girl from before, Ruby.

“Hello!” she said, her tail wagging as she darted up to Weiss.

“Hello...Ruby.” Weiss asking, trying her best to keep her tone formal and courteous. “Where is your sister?”

Ruby stopped in front of Weiss and rocked on her heels, her ears twitching. “Cinder, our caretaker, needed to talk to her about something. So I’m here to help you.” Ruby finished talking with a smile.

Weiss sighed, and her ears laid back on her head. She didn’t like anything about this situation, but she didn’t have a choice. “Alright. Yang said something about finding me somewhere to stay?”

“That makes sense. No one belongs up here alone like this,” Ruby said quickly. “Well if you want a place to stay...you’ll need a job.”

The girl in red put a hand on her chin, pausing to think. “I don’t think Roman would be right...maybe Pyrrha and Jaune?” Ruby mused. She rocked on her feet, then nodded.

Weiss looked at the girl, confused. “What are you planning?”

“There aren’t many places that will hire halflings. I know of one that would give you an honest job.”

Weiss paused for a moment and crossed her arms. “...what job is it?”

Ruby rocked on her heels and chuckled nervously. “Well...how do you feel about working in an inn…”

“Do I have a choice?” Weiss sighed and closed her eyes. “I’ll do it.”

Ruby nodded and suddenly darted off. “I’ll be back!” she called behind her before disappearing into the forest.

Weiss sighed and sat down on a rock setting aside the branch. “This...is going to be an interesting day,” she muttered with a shrug.

* * *

Ruby darted through the forest, stopping when she saw the village in the distance. She sighed and pulled her cloak around her to hide her tail, and pulled up her hood to hide her ears.

"Alright...here we go..." she murmured before walking towards the town. She kept her head down as she walked through the town, her hood casting a shadow over her face. She noticed people staring at her as she walked down the street, but that didn't stop her. The only thing that did stop her were the guards, which she darted down a side street whenever she saw one.

Ruby slipped into a small inn called the Arc. "Pyrrha!" Ruby called out.

For a moment, everything was silent, then a tall red headed tiger halfling popped up from behind a counter. Ruby shifted positions and glanced away. Pyrrha was what Yang would probably be if it weren't for Cinder. Pyrrha almost proudly showed off her halfling traits, showing off her fangs with every smile, not bothering to cover up her dark orange ears and striped tail, not to mention she always insisted on wearing tank tops and shorts to show off the dark stripes that covered her body.

"Hello!" Pyrrha said with a smile.

Ruby smiled and closed the door behind her, pulling down her hood. "Hey Pyrrha," she said with a smile as she walked up to the counter. "I need a favor."

Pyrrha looked at Ruby skeptically and leaned on the counter. "What do you and Yang need?"

Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Do you...have an opening for a halfling?"

Pyrrha stopped and stood up, a concerned expression on her face. "Did something happen to you two?" she asked carefully.

Ruby shook her head quickly. "No no no, not for either of us. There's a halfling living on the mountain, and she needs a job and place to stay. She can't stay in the mountains when it gets colder."

Pyrrha relaxed and sighed. "Well, Ruby...that might be an issue. We only have one employee room...and it was just taken by a different halfling. Unless she's willing to share, we can't help you."

Ruby drummed her fingers on the counter and sighed. "Well, can I talk to her?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I'll go get," she said before retreating to the back where the employees stay.

As far as Ruby knew, they only had four employees, Pyrrha, two humans named Nora and Ren, and the son of the family who owns the inn, Jaune. She can't wait to meet the newest member of what might as well be called a family.

Ruby leaned on the counter, thinking about what she was going to say to this new person, but when Pyrrha came back, all that went out a window when she saw the person behind her.

"Blake!" Ruby yelped, her ears pricking.

Blake looked up and chuckled, the bow on her head twitching a little. "I should've recognized that 'wolf rolling in roses' smell was you," she said with a chuckle.

Pyrrha looked between the two girls. "It appears you've already met."

"Yeah, Yang helped her steal from the marketplace. But why are you here?" Ruby asked, crossing her arms.

"Ren caught her trying to steal some food," Pyrrha said with a chuckle.

"So Jaune offered her a job?" Ruby filled in the rest of the story with what she knew about Jaune. He was kind, almost overly so.

Pyrrha nodded, and Blake sighed. "Miss Nikos said you wanted something."

"Yeah!" Ruby's ears pricked as she remembered what she wanted. "I wanted to ask if you minded sharing a room with someone. Yang and I found a halfling on the mountain a-"

"Is she a dog?" Blake interrupted.

Ruby's ears laid back, and she growled in a low tone at Blake's comment. "Is there a problem if she were?"

"I just don't want to sleep around one I don't know. Pyrrha you understand, right?"

Pyrrha suddenly found herself at the beginning of a dog and cat fight, one she had to defuse quickly. "Ruby, you know cats are wary around dogs...it's understandable that she wouldn't want to sleep with one she didn't know."

Ruby sighed and relaxed. "Alright alright. She's not a dog. She's a rabbit."

"Alright, I guess it wouldn't be that bad," Blake said with a shrug.

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Blake," she darted to the door, pausing to call over her shoulder. "She might be...uncomfortable showing her halfling side. Don't push her."

Blake didn't respond beyond wiggling her bow and Pyrrha nodded. "We'll be understanding. Now go get her."

Ruby smiled, then flicked on her hood and walking away, back to the forest, to get her sister and Weiss.


End file.
